A Day in the Digital

00:03 – Duolingo
I’m not sure why that green owl has such a hold on me, but as soon as a new day begins, I feel obligated to immediately continue my streak, which currently sits at commendable 939 days. The feeling of accomplishment one receives when they complete their streak for the day sends me to sleep knowing I’ve started the day with a positive. It is well known that the pressure to maintain a streak is immense, as people hate losing more than they like gaining. In the case of Duolingo, the threats from the small, cute owl make the whole experience more menacing. Losing your streak is now positioned as disappointing your mentor rather than simply forgetting to practise saying ‘the elephant has a tail’ in Dutch.
00:05 – Agapé
Following my 2 minute Duolingo session, Agapé usually follows. This is an app where you and either a partner, friend or family member answers a ‘deep’ question to know each other better. Similar to Duolingo, the reason this is the second app I use every day is its streak function. Example questions are: ‘Describe a way that your friend has impacted your life that they may not know about;’ ‘How has your childhood affected your relationships?’ and ‘If you could only have one app on your phone, what would it be?’ These questions come from categories including fun, investment and reminiscing. It is interesting to think that an app is helping me understand my friend of 8 years or my sister who I have known all my life. I feel this highlights a decline in meaningful social interaction, demonstrating that us as humans are no longer capable of establishing connections which are deeper than surface level. I also feel this may just highlight that sometimes you don’t know everything about your friends, which is actually quite normal. Either way, by answering an Agapé question right before I sleep, I feel connected to the friends around me and more mindful.
08:30 – Spotify
Playing music in the shower is usually how I properly start my day, it puts me in a good mood and gives me the energy to keep pushing through my morning routine and not fall back asleep.
09:00 – Google Maps/9292
Travelling to Leiden from the Hague everyday means I must rely on trains to get me to my lectures and workgroups on time.
09:25 – Leiden University App – My Timetable
Enter username and password.
09:26 – NetIQ Advanced Authentication
First verification of many throughout the day.
09:27 My Timetable via Safari
I usually check the building I’m going to just in case I’ve mixed it up with the next class.
09:28 – Leiden University App – Brightspace
Enter username and password.
09:29 – NetIQ Advanced Authentication
Verification once again.
09:30 – Brightspace via Safari
Finish off any prereading needed before my classes.
13:01 – Whatsapp
Check WhatsApp after class ends to see what I’ve missed whilst I was away. There is a weird feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) felt when you haven’t checked your phone for some time. This can either be missing out on what your friends are saying/asking; missing out on news updates that constantly change; or missing out on potential important emails. I find that it is when I know I cannot check my phone for a long period of time, that I begin to create extreme scenarios where I am missing the most important email or text of my life. When in reality I know the likelihood of that is significantly lower than the only message me missing being my mum asking what her Vinted password is again. However, I still cannot shake the feeling that if I do not check my phone I will miss something important.
13:05 – Twitter (X)
Just like WhatsApp, I feel that if I don’t check Twitter at least every couple of hours I’ll miss very important news. I am not proud to admit it, but Twitter is where I find out most updates on the world. If any celebrity dies, Twitter normally tells me before any other social media app or news channel could. It also keeps me up to date with pop culture, the most recent update I received was on the Emmys. Twitter is quicker than a Google Search when it comes to award shows as my feed is already curated to the celebrities and information that appeals to me, so it will only show me the actors I actually care about. A downside to Twitter is it’s easy to get distracted and end up in a ‘build your life as a glee character’ thread.
14:05 – USC Leiden via Safari
Enter username and password.
14:06 – NetIQ Advanced Authentication
Verification.
14:07 – USC Leiden via Safari
Either book a class or check the timing of the class I want to attend.
16:30 – Google Maps/9292
Check what time the train is coming.
17:15 – Spotify
I usually listen to music while I cook dinner.
17:45 – Netflix/Disney+/YouTube?
Finding something to watch while you eat is probably the hardest part of dinner time. I browse and browse through the plethora of different forms of media at my fingertips. The abundance of animes, dramas, sitcoms and reality tv I could watch is so overwhelming I usually don’t decide till my food is nearly finished. I then feel obligated to watch at least two episodes since I dedicated so much time to find the show.
20:00 – Facetime
I usually Facetime my sister at any random point during the day but most times it’s in the evening when I know she is definitely back from work.
23:00 – TikTok
To finish my day I respond to any TikToks I’ve been sent and scroll through videos until I feel tired, even though blue light right before bed isn’t very wise. TikTok is almost calming as its content can vary so much, and it doesn’t require much brainpower to take it in. Although this isn’t the last thing I do before sleeping it is the last activity of the day, and it is a minimal effort task that helps me wind down before falling asleep, thus concluding my day in the digital.